August

14

England win World Cup

The England football team won the FIFA World Cup on this day in 1966, beating West Germany 4-2 after extra time. It remains to this day England’s only victory in a major tournament, and team strips and medals have since become highly prized.

Commercially produced memorabilia associated with the tournament is highly collectible too, and much of it features tournament mascot ‘World Cup Willie’ – a lion dressed in Union Jack football strip. A sample pack of Durex ‘World Cup Willie Prophylactics’ was sold at Sotheby’s to an anonymous private collector for £3,000, and this is believed to be the most expensive souvenir yet purchased. The condoms, made by the London Rubber Company, were never produced commercially after the Football Association let it be known that condoms were not in keeping with the image of the tournament.